populate

verb

pop·​u·​late ˈpä-pyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce populate (audio)
populated; populating
Synonyms of populatenext

transitive verb

1
: to have a place in : occupy, inhabit
Strange creatures populate the deep ocean.
2
a
: to furnish or provide with inhabitants : people
… there were survivors, and their descendants populate the world today.—Walter Alvarez
b
: to provide with members

Synonyms of populate

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Examples of populate in a Sentence

Immigrants began to populate the area in the late 19th century. Strange creatures populate the ocean depths.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The film imagines a colorful, family-friendly realm concealed just under the surface of video games themselves, populated by a covert guild of guardians tasked with keeping each title operating and preserving every player’s journey. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026 As business owners are increasingly online, social media algorithms begin to populate their personal feeds with global food trends. — Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 2026 This situates it alongside the North Atlantic ocean that's populated with a variety of different kinds of whales. — New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2026 Alligators, by contrast, are freshwater dwellers that populate lakes, ponds and marshes across the state. — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for populate

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin populātus, past participle of populāre "to provide with inhabitants,", derivative of Latin populus people entry 1

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of populate was in 1578

Rhymes for populate

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Populate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populate. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

populate

verb
pop·​u·​late ˈpäp-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce populate (audio)
populated; populating
1
: to have a place in : occupy, inhabit
2
: to provide with inhabitants : people
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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